Turnaround Arts Mentor, Grammy-Award Winning DJ IZ Avila Works With Students at Marina Vista Elementary Arts Academy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School of the Arts
CONTACT
Jaime Reed
Development and Communications Manager, Turnaround Arts: California
(310) 482-3134
MONTEREY, CA -- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School of the Arts in Seaside, CA and Marina Vista Elementary Arts Academy in Marina, CA are celebrating their success in leveraging the arts for educational equity. In recognition of their achievements, award-winning musician IZ Avila will visit the schools as a “Turnaround Artist” mentor on February 28th (closed event, media must RSVP to attend).
Both schools are supported by Turnaround Arts: California, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to harness the power of the arts to engage, empower, and transform high-need schools and communities. These Turnaround Arts partner schools, in addition to 22 others throughout the state, strategically integrate the arts to improve student and family engagement and improve school culture.
“MPUSD is fully committed to arts education in all of our schools. We continue to enhance and expand visual and performing arts as we know they are critical components of a student’s academic success. Our partnership with Turnaround Arts and DJ IZ at Marina Vista Elementary Arts Academy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School of the Arts has benefited our students and their academic growth tremendously,” said PK Diffenbaugh, Superintendent, Monterey Peninsula Unified School District.
The visits from IZ Avila will include opportunities for students to interact with him hands-on as he shares his DJ skills with the school. MLK School of the Arts will also be celebrating their recent recognition for Exemplary Arts Programming awarded by the California Department of Education, one of only 13 schools to receive this prestigious award.
Turnaround Arts: California is a partner of Turnaround Arts, a program of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Turnaround Arts: California was co-founded in 2014 by renowned architect Frank Gehry and arts education advocate Malissa Shriver to administer the Turnaround Arts program for California’s highest-need schools. Through these partnerships, arts learning is leveraged as a strategic tool to support student learning and school improvement efforts.
SCHEDULE
Where: Marina Vista Elementary Arts Academy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School of the Arts
When: Friday, February 28
8:45 am Media check-in
9:00 am DJ IZ arrives at Marina Vista, greeted by students
9:05 am Assembly with student performances
9:45 am 5th grade classroom visits
11:45 am Assembly with Show Choir and Jazz Band performances
10:45 am School tour
*Break*
1:00 pm DJ IZ arrives at MLK, greeted by principal
1:30 pm School-wide Exemplary Arts Awards celebration
2:30 pm End of Day
**Closed to the public, media must RSVP to attend**